MINNEAPOLIS — Iowa women’s basketball team is taking home their third back-to-back Big 10 National Championship.
On Sunday, the nail-biting battle between the Hawkeyes and Nebraska Cornhuskers ended in overtime with Iowa taking the win 94-89.
This year’s tournament made history as the first-ever sold-out NCAA women’s tournament. A lot of that is in credit to Iowa’s superstar, Caitlin Clark. However, there was a lot of local support in the crowd for the three Minnesota players on the Nebraska roster: Kendall Coley, of Minneapolis; Annika Stewart, of Plymouth; and Callin Hake, of Victoria.
“I couldn’t be more proud. That’s my best friend,” said Chase Coley, Kendall’s older sister.
The two siblings bonded through basketball. Chase mastered the game at Washburn High School, and Kendall at St. Louis Park.
Chase then went on to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2014-2018, and on Sunday, she got to watch her little sister take on her former team on one of the biggest stages in college women’s basketball.
Adam Bettcher / Getty Images
“I’m so lucky I get to watch my two favorite teams in the Big 10 play against each other,” said Chase Coley.
During the championship game, they got to watch Kendall sink a three-pointer in the first half to give the Cornhuskers a strong lead.
“To see her step on the court and have some really impactful plays during this tournament to get them to the championship game is unreal,” said Chase Coley.
Caitlin Clark may be the biggest reason why this arena is sold out, but she shares the bigger spotlight with all the other players, giving them their moment too.
“How lucky are you to be a young lady playing on this platform in front of all these people?” said Tyler Coley, Kendall’s dad, “And that’s what [Kendall] strived to do — to perform, and it’s entertainment.”
The Big 10 action returns later this week to the Target Center. The Men’s Basketball Tournament is set to kick off this Wednesday.
Marielle Mohs
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